Gli edifici

The Arena

Proposed by Luigi Canonica, the capacious oval amphitheatre was built in 1806 using materials recovered from the demolished fortifications of Sforza Castle. This grand city stadium inaugurated by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, was capable of seating 30,000 spectators and during the French occupation was the venue for open air events, such as firework displays and spectacular naumachias: naval battles that required the arena to be flooded with water from the city’s canals. The stadium is accessible via four monumental gates: the Triumphal Gate on the south-east, the north-eastern Libitinaria Gate, which takes its name from the “libitini”, people charged with removing the bodies of gladiators from Roman amphitheatres, the Carceri Gate (the gate of the prisons) on the north-west flanked on both sides by towers and the entrance to the Royal Balcony or “Pulvinare” on the south-western wall, leading to a solemn looking balcony with pink granite columns and Corinthian order capitals.

The Civic Aquarium

Designed by Sebastiano Locati for the Universal Exposition and inaugurated on the 28th April 1906, the Civic Aquarium is a first-rate example of the Milanese Liberty style. The floral theme appears to represent nature's reaction to the increasing industrialisation of cities. In 1908 biology and applied biohydrology facilities were added and the aquarium continued to function in this form until 1943, when it was badly damaged during a bombing raid. Following reconstruction and restoration efforts, the aquarium was reopened in 1963 and between 2003 and 2006 the interior was entirely refurbished.

Palazzo dell'Arte

Constructed between 1931 and 1933 and designed by Giovanni Muzio, the building was intended to function as a permanent venue for the International Decorative Arts Exhibition, which from 1923 was held at the Villa Reale in Monza. The Palazzo dell'Arte's architect was the first to use cement instead of brick in Milan, creating a long rectangular building that ended in a semicircular apse. Porticoes embellish the entrances on both the sides of viale Alemagna and that of the park. The inauguration of the building marked the opening of the V Triennale in 1933. The architect Giuseppe Pagano further expanded the building to host the following exhibition in 1936. Managed by an autonomous body, the Ente Autonomo Triennale di Milano, the building hosts prominent international exhibitions and cultural initiatives.

The Branca Tower

Designed by Gio Ponti and completed in just two and a half months for the V Triennale in 1933, the Littoria tower, as it was called at the time, was built using special steel tubes provided by Dalmine. Standing at 108.60 metres, it became inaccessible in 1972, but following restoration by the Branca brothers, whose name it now carries, the tower can once again be visited by the public.